Former professional goalkeeper Adrian Swan today urged people to register with the Anthony Nolan Trust after he donated stem cells to a leukaemia sufferer.

As part of the Darlington squad, Adrian attended blood donor sessions and made regular contributions to the life-saving supplies.

He signed up to the Anthony Nolan stem cell register 14 years ago but he never thought anything more of it until last August when notification arrived saying he was a potential match for a leukaemia sufferer.

Adrian, now an estimator for Middlesbrough-based services company Hertel (UK) at Wilton, underwent further tests and was told he was a definite match.

He was given injections for five days to increase his blood cell production, after which The Anthony Nolan Trust paid for Adrian to travel to London's Royal Free Hospital.

On the sixth day, he was able to undergo a simple procedure to have the cells removed and Adrian's life-saving job was done.

While confidentiality rules do not allow any specific details to be given to the donor, Adrian understands the recipient of his cells is doing well.

He said: "I understand it is a man from Prague. I am giving him a chance of life. Without the stem cells, he could have died. Even the transplant process could kill him.

"It is so difficult to get a match, even if it was for my own brother, there would only be a one-in-four chance of an exact match. It's quite extraordinary that I've been a match for anyone.

"People think that it's a horrendous procedure, but it's not and more people should do it.

"When I was at Darlington, the majority of us used to give blood and signed up to the register. We were fit young men and that was the group they were looking for."

The Anthony Nolan Trust takes back lives from leukaemia by providing life saving bone marrow donors to hundreds of children and adults waiting for transplants.

There are 7,000 patients in the UK and throughout the world looking to find a suitable bone marrow donor.

Peter Finnigan, area manager for The Anthony Nolan Trust, said: "We desperately need more people to come forward and join the register of potential donors.

"I would appeal to anyone aged between 18 and 40, who is in good health and weighing over eight stone, to come forward."